Stuck
by Gremblin
Summary: Toad was found by the Xmen, comatose. No more being said other than R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _/growls menacingly/_ MINE! MINE I TELL YOU, MINE!

**Author's Note:** This has been sitting in my computer for quite some time, begging me to be posted. I only just decided to listen to it's pleas to be enjoyed by all. So enjoy. Then review. I don't know if I'm gonna do anything with it.

0o0o0o0

Everyone has something different about them. Everyone has something that makes them special. Some people can draw their thoughts out in pictures on paper. Others can write their dreams out for all to read and imagine.

Some people are just plain different. They're social outcasts and unable to fit in with 'civilized' society. They're visibly different, and can do things no normal human can do. Others can just simply do things no normal human can do, but look just like a 'civilized' person.

Many believe that the outcasts that look different than the norm can't possibly be very smart, that they're savages incapable of coherent thought. But those people that actually look different know better.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Hank McCoy stood in the medical bay of the X-mansion. His back was to one of the tables, the only one that had someone laying on it. The person laying on it would typically be one of the last people you'd expect to be there. The only reason he was there at all was because he was comatose. He was barely living; just barely hanging onto the thin strand of life he had left.

"You certainly don't want to die, Mr. Toynbee." Hank muttered as he turned around to look at his patient. Hank was wearing only a pair of fitted shorts and a white lab coat. In his hand he held a clipboard with a collection of papers that had charts and notes scribbled onto them. Hank walked over and checked the screen that monitored Toad's pulse and brainwaves. His pulse was normal, as was his brainwaves.

"Ist he avake yet mein freund?" Hank turned to see Kurt Wagner, also known as Nightcrawler, standing in the doorway. Out of all the X-men they were the two that were most worried about Toad. True, they had been told about the happenings at the Statue of Liberty, but neither of them had actually been there so they didn't wish to judge Toad by the stories they heard.

Hank shook his head sadly. They were both very worried about the man on the table. There were very few mutants at the institute that were visibly mutated and they hoped that Toad would agree to stay.

"He's not dead though." A third voice said. Kurt stepped into the room to allow Professor Xavier come in with his wheelchair.

"Charles, what a pleasant surprise; I was just about to go tell you how Mr. Toynbee here is doing." Hank said with a pleasant smile. Xavier returned the smile.

"I was thinking that I might help Mr. Toynbee out of his coma." Xavier told Hank. Kurt looked amazed that Xavier would even think about doing that, and the look was shared by Hank.

"It's a nice idea Charles, but as the resident doctor I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree. It could have terrible results for both Mr. Toynbee and yourself." Hank said.

"I'm willing to risk it." Xavier said as he made his way over to Toad's bedside. Toad stayed lying down; unaware of what was going on. But anyone that knew Toad well enough would have also known that Toad wouldn't have allowed Xavier even _near_ his head, let alone inside it, even if it meant that he'd be woken up.

Xavier placed his hands on either side of Toad's head and opened his mind, finding Hank's, Kurt's, and Toad's minds nearby. Xavier concentrated on Toads and started feeling himself being pulled towards Toad's consciousness.

Xavier soon found himself inside what seemed to be a cold, grey room with nothing inside it but Toad's mental picture of himself. It looked just like his outside appearance, except it wasn't wearing any shirt or pants, only a pair of shorts and boots. His entire body was covered in scars and the image of it made Xavier question whether Hank was right about helping Toad out.

"He left me." Toad was muttering over and over again under his breath. It was all that Xavier could hear, and even though Toad was only muttering it, Xavier could hear it clear as day as if Toad was saying it normally.

"Who left you?" Xavier asked. Toad didn't even move to show that he had heard, but he did stop muttering.

"Everyone." was the answer. "Everyone left me. No one will stay." Toad said. He still was looking down at his own boots and crossed legs. His hands held his feet together and allowed him to rock gently back and forth.

"We all may have left you, but the X-men came back. We found you, and we're taking care of you." Xavier said. "And we want you to get better." Xavier finished.

"I wont ever get better. I wont." Toad started muttering over and over. This time Xavier had to strain to hear him.

"It's time to wake up." Xavier whispered into Toad's ear. Xavier started pulling out of Toad's mind, and pulling Toad's consciousness with him to the surface.

Hank saw Xavier blink, then lean back. Toad's vitals started going haywire, and before Hank could even move they went back to how they were before, but Toad took in a huge breath before clenching his hand and blinking his eyes open. They could tell that he was terrified, but having been in a comatose state for months he couldn't move.

"Welcome to the land of the living, Mr. Toynbee." Hank said with a grin. Toad gave him a glare but again stayed quiet.

"Vas ist ze problem, Profezzer?" Kurt asked. He looked worried that Toad wasn't moving. Hank just gave Kurt a comforting smile. "Vhy isn't he moving?"

"This is perfectly normal, Kurt. After being comatose for so long a person needs to be re-taught how to do everything. Whether he likes it or not, Mr. Toynbee will be spending the next few months with us." Xavier explained. Toad again glared and Xavier laughed.

"He says to stop calling him Mr. Toynbee, and start calling him Toad. He claims that he hasn't been Mr. Toynbee since he joined Magneto twenty years ago." Xavier grinned. Hank laughed and Kurt smiled.

"Well then I'm very sorry Toad. I never knew you didn't like being called by your birth name." Hank said as he moved Toad into a wheelchair. When Toad was finally settled Cyclops walked in with Wolverine behind him. They both had malevolent grins on their faces, as if they were up to something or were going to have a lot of fun very soon.

"Logan, Scott, what are you doing here. I specifically told you to stay away from the infirmary unless needed." Hank told the two angrily. He tried to get them to leave but the two just pushed past him towards Toad.

"Well, well, well; if it isn't Toad." Cyclops sneered. Toad blinked and looked past him at Xavier. Xavier got the message quickly.

"Scott, Logan, please leave." It was more of a demand than a request but the two ignored him nonetheless.

"Hope you like the inside of a cell, because ya ain't seein' anything else." Wolverine said.

"Logan. Scott. I'm not going to ask again. Leave. Now." Xavier said menacingly. Xavier could feel the relief emenating off of Toad when the two men turned and left.

"Well, when would you like to start with the rehabilitation?" Hank asked. Xavier couldn't help but grin at the response.

"He says never if it's with us, but I'm going to say right away. He most likely would like to be able to defend himself against the many enemies that he has here." Xavier said with a smile. Hank nodded, returning Xavier's grin and wheeled Toad out the door and down the hallway.

0o0o0o0o0

It took two months before Toad was able to wheel himself around and move himself from his bed to the wheelchair. Hank still insisted on being there when he did this as Toad was still very weak, but Toad didn't care. He also enjoyed being able to talk to people without help from Xavier and couldn't wait for the day that he'd be able to leave and return to Magneto.

"I swear, Toad, as soon as Xavier's back's turned you're inside a cell. And I'll personally see to it that it's not a comfy one." Wolverine growled as he passed Toad on his way to the danger room. Toad paused and swivled slightly to look at the currently stronger man.

"You sure you'd be able t' 'andle a cripple?" Toad sneered. Wolverine only growled again and stalked off.

"Toad I must ask you not to egg Logan on. One of these days he _is_ going to throw you into a cell, and I won't be there to stop him." Hank said as he walked up behind Toad.

"I can take 'im." Toad muttered. " 'e's jus' like Sabe, big, strong, an' dumb as a board." This caused Hank to grin but stay quiet. Logan was anything but dumb, but Hank would let Toad keep his fantasies for now. Hank walked behind Toad as he wheeled down the hallway towards his bedroom. Xavier had insisted that Toad sleep in a room of his own to free up the gurney he had been on for the first month of his stay. Cyclops had managed to talk Xavier into letting him lock Toad's door from the outside for the student's safety, due to Toad's very questionable background. Xavier hadn't liked it but agreed to it in the end.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** This Chapter's really short, but you'll all have to suffer through it. I like where it's ended, and it's staying the end right there. The next chapter (if I make one) will be longer, I promise.

Toad sat in the infirmary looking at the newest x-rays that Hank had put up. They were of his lower back, showing a small break in his spine. It was the last piece of the puzzle to why Toad had yet been able to walk, despite his being in rehabilitation for five long months. Somewhere along the line Toad had broken his back, not noticed, and in the process healed himself before Hank could take notice of it. Hank said it had most likely happened when Toad had hit the water from being blasted backwards in the fight with Storm. But it all meant one thing to Toad: He was stuck. He couldn't leave, because the Brotherhood couldn't, and wouldn't, use a cripple in any of their plans. He was a liability to them now. Toad knew that if he didn't disappear quickly or stay at the X-mansion Magneto would send Mystique to kill him off.

Toad lowered his head into his hands and sighed deeply. No one but Xavier, Hank, and Toad himself knew right now; but Toad knew that everyone in the X-mansion would find out somehow. News like this, despite how well kept, never stayed secret for very long in a place with so many people.

A hand touched Toad's shoulder and made Toad look up. It was one of the students, the only one Toad could put up with simply because the kid was so young. It was a young boy, with blood-red skin and jet-black hair, wearing matching shorts. The kid never spoke and rarely looked at anyone other than Hank, Kurt, or Xavier. For some reason he would look at Toad, and Xavier said it was most likely because Toad was visibly mutated.

"Wot'll I do, Squid?" Toad asked quietly. He had taken to calling the boy Squid, simply because no one else knew the child's real name. The boy seemed to like it, too, and would even answer to it. Many people had actually taken to calling the boy Squid because of the simple fact that it fit.

The boy looked like he wanted to say something but didn't know what. Toad couldn't help but grin at the look. No one knew what to say to him. But the x-ray's said it all. He was stuck, plain and simple.


End file.
